Local-Motion

The public has spoken -- in this case, the voice of legal U.S. residents living in New York -- and, finally, Gov. Eliot Spitzer had no choice but to listen. This is what happens in politics when your "mandate" of support has eroded so badly that you won't have a prayer of being re-elected if you continue on course. This is what happens when the people speak. And you have to listen. Which is the only reason why Spitzer announced Wednesday he was shelving his controversial -- and, plain old dumb -- plan to issue licenses to illegal immigrants. It was an idea criticized by near everyone: The public, political opponents, the Feds. Even fellow Democrats. Even Spitzer finally had to realize that to pursue it was political suicide. Especially after his approval rating, once closing in on 70 percent, had fallen to about 41 percent this week -- all over the issue of licensing illegal immigrants. We here at Local-Motion argued the idea was a dumb one from Day One. Spitzer said issuing licenses to illegal immigrants would enabled state officials to track terrorists. Wrong. He said it would force uninsured motorists to become insured. Wrong. He said it would improve security. Wrong. The fact is that New York instituted what amounted to the most-stringent licensing requirements in the nation in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks -- in part, to track potential illegal immigrants and prevent potential terrorists from being able to rent vehicles in which they could transport bombs or bomb-making equipment. And the fact is that New York's requirements were so state-of-the-art that other states have since decided to follow suit, using our plan as a framework for their policies. Meanwhile, some states that years ago elected to issue licenses to illegal immigrants have since scrapped that system -- calling it a failed policy. Officials in those states said they found the system often promoted fraud, instead of reducing it. But Spitzer thought he knew better. Thought he knew better than his constituents. Thought he knew better than the experts. Thought he knew better than everyone. Until, that is, the voters made him realize that he was just plain wrong -- and that, if he didn't back down, he could kiss his political ambitions goodbye. So, finally, Spitzer blinked. And abandoned his plan. That is good news for New Yorker drivers. And good news for the voting public. The legal voting public.